Five
by Was-Mokie
Summary: Can't be real. Please don't be real.


Five

By:

Me

Came up with this in an hour. I'll get my other story updated and completed this week.

I own nothing.

It had been a harmless prank, but the bucket of water that hit Leo's head had also caused water to run too close to our power generator and the whole lair had short circuited. To say that I was mad would be the understatement of the year. I was livid.

"Mikey! How could you?" I yelled as I finally found a flashlight and shined it at the apologetic turtle, "It took me months to build that generator!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," my younger brother called before crying out in pain when Raph violently slapped him in the head.

I didn't even wince as Mikey whimpered in pain from the blow. My fists shook to slap him one as well.

"Michelangelo!" Master Splinter snapped as he walked into the room with a lit candle and handed Leo a towel, "This is unacceptable behavior and beyond any stunt you have pulled in the past. What were you thinking?!"

"I was just playing," Mikey contritely answered, "I didn't mean any harm. This was an accident, I swear."

"What if the water puddle had caused electricity to electrocute your brother?!" Sensei yelled, "How could you be so thoughtless? Leo is alive only due to the grace of God. I am ashamed of you. I thought I had taught you better than that."

Light flared brighter as Raph continued to light candles throughout the lair. Mikey looked close to tears and hung his head in shame. I had no sympathy for the vermin. How could he do this? He knew that I was overrun with things to fix in the lair and he goes and does something like this.

"Don't say a word, Moron," Raph growled as Mikey opened his mouth to probably apologize again, "You are tha most immature brat that has ever lived. Leo could have died and now we ain't got no power. Why do ya always have to ruin our lives with your stupid pranks? You are annoying and selfish."

"Mikey you need to stop doing things that make you a liability to this family," Leo interjected with a touch of anger in his voice, "You need to grow up! We don't get sunlight in the lair so we'll have to scavenge for more candles thanks to you."

"I can't believe you!" I yelled after having looked at the damaged machinery, "I will have to build another generator now and all the food in the fridge is going to go bad! You knew how important this generator was to the survival of our family! How could you do this to me? I thought we were best buds!"

"We are," Mikey insisted looking desperate, "I'll scrounge any materials you need to make up for this. I swear."

"I don't need your help," I gritted out, "You are too stupid to even know what to look for. Just go away!"

Mikey took a step back looking devastated, but this time his tears did not move my heart.

"You are grounded," Master Splinter stated, "Michelangelo, you will go to the dojo and start shining every weapon in there until they are all done and the surfaces all look perfectly the same. Then you will go to your room and stay there until your brothers and I can stand to look upon a child like you."

"Get away from me," I snapped as he reached a hand to me.

Mikey didn't say another word and entered the dojo and closed the door. Raph and Leo helped me move the generator away from the water once it was safely unplugged. With the help of the candlelight, I realized that the generator wasn't as damaged as I thought it was. I worked all day and late into the night and finally the machinery was completed. I wouldn't be able to plug it back in until the morning so I went to bed. The next morning I was up early and hooked up the generator and smiled as all the lights came back on.

"You fixed it," Leo cheered as he came into the living room with Raph sleepily trailing behind him, "Thank goodness. I don't think we could have lasted months with just candlelight."

"I know," I agreed, "Mikey had better have learned his lesson.

"I'll knock him one good if he ever does somethin' like that again," Raph crabbed before jumping when we heard a scream from the dojo.

We tore towards the scream and saw Master Splinter collapsed to his knees in the dojo entrance with his hands covering his mouth. The three of us froze when we reached Sensei's side and looked at the horrific scene. Every weapon in the room was coated perfectly in dried blood and our baby brother leaned against the opposite wall with his arms torn open from wrist to elbow sitting limp and still. He had written in blood on the wall, "The weapons all look the same now. Are you happy?" Blood was pooled all around Mikey and his open, blank eyes showed that his soul was gone. There was no movement. Mikey was dead. I choked and screamed and screamed and screamed.

"Donnie! Donnie! Wake up!" a familiar voice shouted and I jerked up in bed and screamed again as Raph reached to calm me down, "Donnie it's okay! Look at me! Whatever scared ya is not here! Ya're okay!"

"What is it?!" Leo demanded as he charged into the room with his weapons drawn and instantly threw them down to reach my side when I looked up at him wildly, "Donnie, calm down."

I burst into tears and rocked myself. Mikey was dead. I had driven my brother to commit suicide. I felt Leo and Raph hug me, but I was numb in horror. I couldn't focus on the words flowing from their mouths.

"What's wrong?" a voice said and I looked up in shock to see my sleepy, baby brother rubbing at those blue eyes of his, "Donnie?"

I shoved away from Raph and Leo and lunged towards Mikey. I sobbed as I pulled him into a desperate hug.

"You're alive! You're not dead," I choked out as I clung to him and we both ended up on the floor, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you. Don't die. Please don't die."

"Die?" Mikey gasped as he hugged me back, "I'm right here, Don. I'm okay."

"My fault. My fault. My fault," I continued to mumble and I felt Raph and Leo come over and join the hug as I continued to chant.

"What is your fault?" Raph demanded, "Donnie, snap out of it. Nothin' is your fault."

I hugged Mikey closer and just continued to chant. I had hurt Mikey. My stupid words. My stupid mouth.

"What is going on here?" Master Splinter demanded as he entered the room and then quickly kneeled on the floor beside of us, "Donatello? Child, what has happened?"

"I think Donnie had a _really_ bad nightmare," Leo explained as Mikey placed his hand over my mouth to stop the chanting, "He thought that Mikey was dead and for some reason thinks that it is his fault. We can't get through to him."

I ignored them as I drank in the sight of my baby brother as he murmured comforting words to me.

"Donatello, my son, look at me," Sensei ordered in a voice that snapped my gaze up, "Look at who is in your arms. Who is it?"

I breathed hard and turned my head to see my baby brother looking back at me with a gentle smile on his face.

"See? I'm okay," Mikey soothed, "It was just a nightmare. Nothing is your fault, Bro."

I took his face in my trembling hands and pulled him closer to look into his eyes. The vision of these sparkling eyes looking so lifeless made me choke.

"Mikey?" I croaked and looked up at Sensei, "Mikey is alive."

"That's right, my son," Master Splinter agreed as I pulled my little brother back into my arms, "Your brother is safe. You are safe. Calm down."

"Safe?" I warbled and tightened my hold on Mikey.

"Ya safe, Donnie, and so is Mikey," Raph encouraged as I began to calm, "Leo and I would never let anythin' happen to our little brothers. Look, Fearless even brought his weapons ta protect ya as he rushed in here."

"Will you use your weapons on me if I hurt Mikey?" I asked as I turned to my eldest brother.

"What?" Leo and Mikey exclaimed together as Raph's mouth dropped open.

"You have to," I gasped feeling desperate, "I want to know that Mikey is safe and if I hurt him and make him stop then you have to stop me too. Promise me that you will make me stop. Promise me, please?"

Leo looked at me with horror on his face and then scooped me up and carried me out of my room as I screamed for Mikey who was scrambling to his feet as I watched. My brothers and Sensei scurried after Leo and I reached for my baby brother as Leo sat me on the couch. Mikey flew back into my arms and I held him close. I never wanted to be separated from him again. I needed to feel each breath he breathed.

"Donnie, you would never hurt any of us," Leo stated as he gave me a gentle shake, "You would never, ever hurt Mikey. I will never have to use any weapon on you because Donatello Hamato is a turtle that protects and doesn't hurt anyone he loves."

"But I did," I protested before grunting when Mikey pulled my chin down to look at him.

"You did not!" Mikey denied, "I'm alright and you have never hurt me. In fact, you usually protect me when Raph gets all slap-happy and I always know that you've got my back in a battle. Donnie, your one of my best friends and I always know that you'll be there for me."

I felt shame gather as I remembered back to the way I had spoken to my baby brother in the dream. Did I have it in me to be so cruel?

"Listen to tha, Knucklehead," Raph encouraged as I blinked in confusion at my hotheaded brother, "Don, ya one of the gentlest people I know. What tha shell kind of a nightmare did you have that has scared ya this bad?"

I began to shake again as my eyes filled with tears. I had caused my baby brother to give up on life. It was my fault.

"Stop," Leo ordered as he rubbed my carapace soothingly, "Breathe, Donnie. Put that dream out of your head. It was a lie to hurt you."

"But I hurt our Mikey," I wailed, "He gave up! He…he was cut…and the blood…I had y-yelled and…."

Master Splinter grabbed my face and gently forced me to look up at him.

"Deep breath," Sensei instructed, "Breathe in deeply. Come on, Child, breathe in deeply."

I panted for a couple of seconds and then breathed in as I was asked to do. I felt Mikey squeeze me tight and it felt good to feel him so close.

"That's it," I heard Sensei say as I closed my eyes and shuddered, "Breathe out and in. Nice and slow. Good. Keep breathing."

I continued to breathe in and out and could hear that my brothers were breathing along with me to encourage my calming. I gripped Mikey tighter and finally managed to fully come out of the terror that had gripped me with each exhale. I couldn't help a whimper that escaped me as I buried my head in Mikey's shoulder.

"It was awful," I sniffled as I turned my head so that I could breathe better.

"Tell us," Raph encouraged, "Sensei always says that is better ta let the hurt out than keep it in."

"Come on, Donnie," Mikey whispered as he laid his head atop mine, "Tell us what scared you so that we can tell you how none of it will ever happen."

I nodded and began to haltingly explain the details of my dream. Raph, Leo, and Sensei leaned back in horror and I felt Mikey begin to tremble.

"I hate the Sandman!" Mikey cried making me sit up and look at him with wide eyes, "How dare that, Dude, send my bro such a disgusting dream! I hate him!"

"Mikey?" I questioned as he fixed me with a glare.

"Stupid dream," Mikey snapped, "I'd never set up a prank that would cause any damage to our family and you, and Sensei, and Leo, and Raph would never say things like that. Even if you did, I'd talk with any of you first, after you had calmed down, to tell you that you hurt my feelings."

"Really?" I blurted feeling lighter.

"Shell, yeah," Mikey continued and thrust his arms in my face, "Look, Donnie. No cuts. No blood. I'd never commit suicide since that is not an answer to solving pain and I am not in pain. I love all of you and I feel very loved back. Go us!"

I leaned back and began to examine Mikey's arms for any injuries. His skin was smooth and unmarred and I hugged those precious arms to my chest.

"See? Everything is okay," Leo reassured as I looked up at him, "It was just a nightmare."

"I agree with Mikey," Raph glared out, "I'll kick the Sandman's butt he ever send ya such a horrible dream again. Ya'd never be so cruel ta Mikey. I don't like how the rest of us was represented in that dream as well. I don't think that Mikey is selfish."

"And I don't think he is a liability to this family," Leo interjected.

Sensei stroked the back of my neck as I looked up at him.

"You know that I love you four dearly," Master Splinter reminded, "That dream made it seems like I couldn't stand to look upon your brother for making a simple mistake in judgment. Would that ever happen in real life?"

"No," I meekly answered, "Never."

"That's right, my son," Sensei acknowledged as he stroked a hand down one of Mikey's cheeks before looking back at me, "Let go of that false pain. Everyone in our clan is alright."

I smiled a small smile as my family continued to encourage me out of my uncertainty. I became aware that I was very tired and cuddled up close to Mikey as my eyes drooped. I felt a blanket draped over my shoulders as my baby brother eased the two of us down on the couch. I gasped when I sensed Leo and Raph leaving the room and sat up.

"Where are you going?" I demanded as I began to panic.

"They are just going to get some bedding so they can SLEEP IN HERE," Mikey soothed me as he sent a warning glance at our brothers, "They are going to go really, _really_ fast, RIGHT BROS?"

"You bet," Leo agreed and he and Raph slid out of the room and back inside in no time.

I watched avidly as my older brothers set up where they were going to sleep by the couch and crawled under their blankets.

"One," I counted as I hugged Mikey and looked over at Leo and Raph who were giving me questioning looks, "Two. Three."

I looked up with wide eyes at Master Splinter and he quickly slid a chair over and made himself comfortable.

"Four," I breathed in relief as I lay back down against Mikey, but I was getting tense again and couldn't relax.

"Wait, Donnie," Mikey advised and I whimpered as he walked out of the room.

I went to stand to go after him, but Leo stood and pulled me into his arms and encouraged me to wait. I was relieved when Mikey came back in with a large pile of bedding and he and Raph set up a new pallet between Raph's and Leo's things.

"Come on," Mikey called as he tugged my hand and eased me down on the bedding, "You and I will sleep here."

I pulled Mikey back against me and watched as Raph and Leo crawled back under their blankets. Master Splinter rose and tucked a blanket over Mikey and I and then sat on the couch right by our heads.

"One," I counted again as I took Mikey's hand and then grabbed Leo's and Raph's as well, "Two. Three."

Sensei grunted when I snatched up the end of his tail.

"Four," I sighed and felt better.

"Five," Mikey giggled out as I looked down at him, "You make five, Silly."

Leo and Raph squeezed my hand gently and I looked back and forth between them before letting out a shaky breath. All of the fear from the dream left my mind and I sighed in relief. It had been a dream. Just a stupid dream.

"Five," I agreed as exhaustion pulled at me, "Five."

The end.


End file.
